Critics of acid etching point out that the acid must be properly neutralized before being washed down the drain or it can damage pipes, as well as the environment. Many refinishers first roughen up the tub's surface by brushing on a solution of hydrofluoric acid before using a bonding agent. He fills any pockmarks in the dried fiberglass with a polyester glazing putty, waits for it to set, then sands it in the same manner.Īfter wiping with a tack cloth, he rags on a bonding agent that enables the acrylic urethane enamel to adhere to the porcelain's glasslike surface. (Had the tub been severely etched by cleanings with bleach, he would have had to putty the entire inner surface.) After the fiberglass hardens, he sands it with a coarse 36-grit paper to knock down high spots and an 80-grit paper to feather it out. Fill Dings and ScratchesĪyers, a former auto-body repairman, trowels fiberglass putty into deep chips and scratches, just as he would on a damaged car door. He follows with an acid-based citric cleanser that neutralizes the emulsifier, and after rinsing and drying the tub, rubs it clean with denatured alcohol. Next he cleans the tub to remove the impurities that can hinder adhesion of the new finish: He scrapes off soap scum with a razor blade, then wipes on an alkaline emulsifier commonly used to strip wax off floors. The edge of the coating will be hidden behind the refitted fixtures and a new bead of caulk. To prepare for refinishing, Ayers first carves away the caulk between the tub and the walls and floor with a putty knife, then removes the drain cover and masks off the faucets. David Carmack The Process Clean and Remove Ayers, a former auto-body repairman, refinishes tubs using many of the same techniques he once used on fenders he fills dings and scratches with putty before he shines the finished product with a power buffer. Their second-floor bathroom has a mix of old charm and new shine, but the mounted tub looks and feels weathered, with a green watermark under the faucet, several nasty dings on the lip, and a dull, gritty texture from years of improper cleaning. That's what Jackie Metropoulos chose to do, and hired Scott Ayers, a technician for the Miracle Method franchise in Ludlow, Massachusetts, to resurface the old cast-iron bathtub in the 1919 house she and her husband, Matt, own in Longmeadow, Mass. "Professional refinishing can be a cost-efficient solution for that retro look," Trethewey says. How much does it cost to refinish a cast iron tub?įor an average cost of $350 to $500-a fraction of the $1,200 to $5,000 expense of a new cast-iron or steel tub installed-refinishers can make an antique fixture look brand new. Done correctly, either off-site in a shop or in place, sink or tub resurfacing is an effective and inexpensive solution for porcelain that is chipped, worn rough, or whose color has simply gone out of style. "But it's not easy to find an affordable bathtub with the look and size of a period tub." Is a Bathtub Refinishing Worth It?Įach year refinishing shops across the country rescue thousands of tired old tubs and sinks by spraying on an acrylic urethane resin coating. "People very often rip out old tubs because they're slightly blemished," says Richard Trethewey, This Old House plumbing and heating expert. The super's methods were suspect, but he was essentially on the right track in trying to save the tub by recoating its surface.
The building's super promised to fix it - and fix it he did, by slapping on some latex paint that flaked off every time I settled in for a warm bath. But my elation quickly ebbed once I eyed the rusty gully along its bottom, the work of a persistent leak that had eroded the white porcelain tub and exposed the tub's cast-iron shell. When scouting out my current apartment, I was immediately drawn to the oversize bathtub - a real soaker from an era when bathing was savored and showers described rain.
0 kommentar(er)
